


As One Door Closes

by skyestar7703



Category: Portal (Video Game), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Action/Adventure, But not really he's just somewhere else, Everyone needs a hug let's be honest, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Memory Loss, Mentioned Mineta Minoru, Midoriya Izuku Needs A Hug, Never let anyone at Aperture Science near quirks, Nevery let Cave Johnson anywhere near quirks, Nowhere near the story, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Todoroki Shouto Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2020-03-05 16:33:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18832435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyestar7703/pseuds/skyestar7703
Summary: Izuku isn't sure how he ended up in Aperture Science, why his memory is faulty, or what his new companions and the mysterious AI have to do with anything. But what he does know is that if he wants to survive long enough to find out, he's going to have to start thinking with portals.





	As One Door Closes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to 'As One Door Closes'! I have no beta, so feel free to point out any grammatical errors, and I'll be sure to correct them. This takes parts from both Portal games, plus a lot of original material, so hopefully it'll be different enough to stay interesting. Hope you enjoy!

Izuku Midoriya swirled his food around in his bowl, rocking back and forth in his chair and swinging his feet hard. Normally at this point he would be stuffing his face with his mom's awesome cooking, but it seemed that all of his hunger had been transformed into nerves of excitement.

And really, how could he be hungry? How could he think of anything but the events that had taken place earlier in the day? It ran through his mind once again like a movie in full color and HD. All Might, in all his wonderful glory, standing in front of him telling him it was possible for him to be a hero, that he was going to inherit _All Might's_ quirk. It almost felt like a wonderful dream. Izuku was still half convinced he'd suddenly wake up to find it had all been in his head and he was to remain quirkless forever. It just didn't mesh with what had always been his reality, what had happened that afternoon.  
But it was real. And, Izuku thought as he finally started shoving his dinner in his mouth, hunger returning to him in an instant, he was going to do whatever he could to be the best hero possible with what All Might had given to him!

His mom smiled softly at him from across the table, a hint of amusement in her kind gaze. "What's gotten you so excited, Izuku? You're full of energy tonight." The smile faded as she looked away, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. "I was worried, with that villain you and Katsuki encountered…." She seemed to pause to collect her thoughts, then brought back her smile from before, a little forced this time. "I was just so worried. And when you didn't come home for a while after-" She broke off and took a deep breath. "I'm just really glad you're safe."

Guilt twinged in Izuku's gut. The reason he was home later tonight was because he ran into All Might, and learned he could be a hero. His dream come true. And yet, he hurt his mom, who was just worried about him. What kind of hero did that?

"I'm really sorry," he said apologetically. "There was so much on my mind, I took a longer route home. I promise not to make you worry like that again." He meant it, really. His mom meant so much to him, even if she never really understood his burning desire to be a hero, especially after they found out he was quirkless. She was still always there for him, and now he was going to prove to her that he could still be a hero she would be proud of.

But somewhere deep inside, he still wondered if that was true. If he took All Might up on his offer, there was a good chance that he'd end up lying to his mom again, and almost a hundred percent chance that he'd worry her, over and over again. It hurt, to realize that this was a promise that he couldn't keep.

But he had to do this, to take this opportunity! If he let it pass him by, he would most likely never become a hero. His goal was right there in front of him, and he needed to take it by the reigns or it would be gone for good.

His mom would understand. He knew she would!

Inko smiled at him with relief, which only made the churning feeling in his gut worsen. He felt like a terrible person, even though he knew this was something he had to do. "Thank you, Izuku," she said. Her voice took on a teasing note. "Although, I think if you continue the way you are, you're going to get into trouble."

"Hmm, what do you- mmph!" He choked on his food and hastily gobbled down some water as his mom chuckled. "Ah, sorry about that!"

His mom laughed lightly. "Oh it's no problem. I'm not one one who has to deal with the consequences, after all." He chuckled weakly along with her.  
It was fine. He was fine. This was what he wanted, and mom would understand. He might get himself into trouble, but he would also be the one to deal with the consequences, and he could handle that. He would do everything he could to make her proud of his accomplishments.

Izuku lay in his bed, completed homework scattered all across his desk and on the floor, looking upwards at the wall he had filled with All Might posters. Even after everything that had happened, everything he learned, they still filled him with a sense of awe and pride, as well as the feeling of being safe and protected. Maybe even more so now that he knew his hero's biggest secrets. Knowing that he was so badly injured and using a strange, passed down quirk made him realize just how brave All Might was, to keep going even with so many hindrances. He would do the same in the future, he was sure of it.

Would that be him some day? Postered onto some kids wall, looked up to as inspiration for the next generations of heroes? That wasn't anywhere near why he wanted to be a hero in the first place, but it did leave him a bit awestruck, that someone like him could possibly have that large an impact on the world. He wanted to be that person, who inspired little kids who had no quirks and seemingly no chance at becoming heroes themselves, who told them they too could become a hero!

He wanted to save, to help, as many people as he could, and he wanted to inspire others. Those were his main goals when it came to becoming a hero. And Izuku was sure he could do it, now that he had his own hero's help.

But how to do that, exactly? What would being a hero entail? And that was all assuming that he got strong enough with All Might's quirk so by the time UA applications rolled around, he would be ready and able to clench a spot in the prestigious high school. But what if he didn't? What would he do then? And even if he did get in, what would await him at the school? Would he be able to handle it? Even as he fantasized about being a hero, these thoughts came back to haunt him.

He resolutely pushed them aside. They didn't matter. He would get into UA! He would become a pro hero, just like All Might! He was going to do whatever it took to make all these dreams a reality.  
Izuku breathed in and out slowly and closed his eyes tight. He would show All Might that the hero had chosen right when selecting him as the next bearer of One for All. He would pass the entrance exam, and get into UA. He would give his mom a reason to really be proud of him.

With all this in mind, he drifted off to sleep, ready for whatever the next day would bring.

\----------------------------------

The first thing he heard was music. Not rock, pop, classical or jazz, or anything nice like that. No this sounded like a mix between some overly cheery cartoon music and something from a doctor's office or lab. Where could it be coming from? It didn't sound like anything he or his mom would play. Was she trying out some new music station or something?  
Groaning, Izuku blinked twice and rubbed his eyes, looking upwards at the ceiling. It was white tile with a hanging light fixture. The walls around him made of what looked to be transparent glass. This wasn't his ceiling. This wasn't his room.

Wait. This wasn't his ceiling! This wasn't his room! Izuku tried to get up, but found a dome directly above his head. He slammed a hand against it, but it didn't budge. A glance to his left and right revealed that he was in some sort of pod. The top still wouldn't open.

Izuku banged on it again and again, desperation welling up inside him the longer he was trapped. A scream tore itself out of his throat before he could stop it. What was this, what was going on, he was at home, where was his mom was he taken was she taken _was his mom okay was he going to die here was she-_

The top of the pod opened with a small hiss, and Izuku let out a strangled breath. _Calm down. Calm down_. He wasn't stuck in this thing, he could get out, he would be fine. He gripped the sides of the pod and pulled himself forward into a sitting position. It was, surprisingly, much easier than he expected it to be. Noting his aching muscles, including ones he didn't even know he had, he swung his legs over the side of the pod, now just a white linen bed, and looked around him.

Inside the transparent walls (well, three transparent walls, and one blank white wall), there was a small, circular shaped desk, with an white ovaloid radio, a yellow notepad, and a mug on it. He got up to walk over, noting curiously that he felt taller than he had just the night before, strange as it seemed. The tiles on the floor were the same as those on the ceiling. He picked up the mug. It was plain, with nothing inside of it. The notepad was similarly blank. The radio had a long antennae sticking up from it, and a red light to show that it was on, but nothing else. No evidence of where he had ended up, or how he had gotten there.

To the right of the desk was a tiny toilet, and a quick inspection showed nothing extraordinary about it. Izuku looked back to the bed-pod thing he had woken up in. There seemed to be some sort of pump sticking into one of the sides. He went to fiddle with the knob of the pump, but it didn't budge. What did it do? Some sort of air pump, maybe? To supply the pod with continuous fresh air? If that was the case, how long had he been in here? He still couldn't remember anything after falling asleep the night before, and these walls made him feel awfully exposed.

 _Think_. If his one clue so far was that air pump, then maybe there was some weight to the fact that he felt taller. He looked downwards. He seemed to be wearing an orange jumpsuit and white t-shirt, with the English words APERTURE SCIENCE inscribed onto it. Was that where he was, some place called Aperture Science? He'd never heard of it before. Then again, it seemed to be from an English speaking country, and he didn't know all the science company names in Japan, much less in the rest of the world. Even so, it was a new clue to add to the mystery.

He really was taller, as much as he could tell. Part of that must've been the boots, white boots with strange high heels. It wasn't just that though. On instinct, he felt his stomach and arms. There was muscle there! Not that there wasn't before, but it felt so much more defined, like he'd been working out for months, or even years. Which he hadn't, so how did this happen?

Izuku took a step back and ran his fingers through his hair. It wouldn't do him any good now to panic, even if he really really felt like it. He needed to stay calm. Someone had broken into his house and stolen away him and possibly his mom, then taken them to this lab of some sorts, mostly likely in an English speaking country. He was wearing an orange jumpsuit, and seemed to be older than he had been yesterday.

Okay. Now that all the facts were put in order, he needed to figure out how to get out of the room.

He looked past the glass. The walls on the outside seemed to be made of concrete and stacked in blocks. On one side, there was a viewing room that, while having no one inside at the moment, made Izuku feel even more like some sort of lab rat. Not to mention what looked like security cameras hung on the walls.

There was also a countdown, he noticed, going down by the seconds. But a countdown for what?

"Hello," a male voice boomed suddenly from somewhere outside the room. Izuku jumped and spun around, but saw nothing different. "Welcome to the Aperture Science Computer and Enrichment center. We hope your brief detention in the relaxation vault has been a pleasant one." The voice was speaking in English and clearly robotic, some sort of AI, or just an announcement? It sounded either toneless or very bored. And while the room may be called a "relaxation vault", Izuku was anything but relaxed.

"Your specimen has been processed, and we are now ready to being testing properly," The voice continued. _Specimen? Processed_? Izuku really didn't like the sound of that. But what could he do, stuck in this room?

"First, a couple of rules. You may note that your quirk is not working. In accordance with Aperture Science guidelines, use of quirks is prohibited during testing. Quirks cannot be accessed in testing chambers. As part of this series of tests, you will be joined by a companion, created by an Aperture Science and programed to accompany you on your testing journey. Tests will not be completed until you and your companion have passed. This is due to-" The voice cut off as the room dimmed. Izuku jumped back in shock as sparks flew around the room. Then everything was light again. "The portal will open in three, two, one."

One the single blank white wall in the room, an oval slightly bigger than Izuku flashed orange for a moment, then opened up to reveal….the outside of the room? Izuku looked through one of the other walls. On a wall outside of his room, there was a blue oval, which showed….himself?

He couldn't help but look closer. If he wasn't sure about really being older, or changed in some way, now he was convinced. He was certainly taller, more defined. There were scars and marks that definitely weren't there before. He looked at his hands. Thick scars ran across both of them, scars he didn't remember getting. What was going on?

Hesitantly, he put a hand through the portal. He looked back over to see said hand sticking out of the blue portal. Izuku shivered, and his stomach turned. It wasn't scary or anything, just extremely weird. He pulled his hand back and inspected it. Besides the injuries that weren't there last night, it seemed to be fine. He took as hesitant step forward, then shut his eyes tight and jumped through the portal.  
Nothing happened. He opened his eyes and looked back. He was outside of the room; the portal worked just as it looked. Well, that was a relief!

"Okay," Izuku muttered to himself. "Take stock. I woke up as an older version of myself in an English-speaking lab called Aperture Science. The fact that I have these scars and muscles that I didn't have before most likely means I wasn't aged up, but instead can't remember anything before what felt like just last night." That part was a working theory, and one Izuku didn't really like, but considering all the other evidence, it did make sense. "Those portals are either a really advanced quirk at work or this place has really advanced tech, which makes sense as a science lab. The fact that the voice is speaking in what I think is an American accent means this is probably either in America, or it's a facility owned by an American company." The second was much more likely, of course.

"The Aperture Enrichment Center reminds it's testers that science cannot be done if they stay in one place." The voice sounded almost sarcastic that time.  
Izuku jumped and snapped to attention. "S-sorry!" He apologized in English. "I-I'll go now." The voice didn't respond. He took cautious steps forward, around the room he had woken up in, glancing briefly again at the viewing room. There still wasn't anyone there.

On the other side of the glass room, a circular hole in the wall revealed both a giant red button on the floor, something hanging from the ceiling with a cube inside, and a person, standing rigid beside it. Izuku felt his spirits lift, because finally! He wasn't alone! He ran over.

He stopped a few feet away. From a ways away the guy seemed like another person. Upon closer inspection, however, he wasn't so sure. The boy wasn't wearing a jumpsuit like him, but was decked in all white, pants, shirt, and jacket, which had the Aperture logo embroidered on it and uneven sleeves, one down to his wrist and the other to his elbow. The arm with the shorter sleeve was clearly cybernetic, white plating and a darker underneath with some blue circle in the center of his palm. While one of his eyes, the gray one, looked much like a human eye, the other was far too sharp to be normal, and clearly unnatural. He was unnaturally pale, except for the bright coloring around his robotic eye, which could have been a scar or an aesthetic design, if the guy really was a robot. Half white and half red hair completed the look. Like some sort of mix between human and robot. A cyborg.

Izuku took a weary step forward. "Hello," He tried nervously. "I'm Izuku, it's nice to meet you."

The robot-boy's face didn't change. Izuku wondered if the guy could express emotion at all. "I am Shouto. I was programed by Aperture Science to accompany test subject four: Izuku Midoriya. You are test subject four: Izuku Midoriya. Therefore, I will accompany you." No emotion leaked through his words. Maybe he really was a robot. But then what was with the different arm?

That's right, the voice did mention that he would have company going through his testing. Izuku wasn't expecting this though. And what did it mean, that he was test subject four? Who were the test subjects that came before him?

All of those questions flying through his head, Izuku gave a shaky smile at Shouto. "It's nice to meet you, Shouto! I hope we get along." Shouto's face showed nothing. He didn't even nod. Izuku resisted the urge to sigh. This was going to take a while, wasn't it?

He turned his attention to the red button. It was obviously meant to be pushed, but what would happen if he did? He looked to Shouto for a possible explanation, but received nothing. Taking a chance, he pushed the button. The container connected to the ceiling opened up, and the cube came tumbling out of it.

What to do next? A dotted line ran from the button to the door on the other side of the room, and seeing as the cube and the button were the only test related things in there, Izuku put the cube onto the button. The dotted line lit up orange, and the door opened.

"Excellent. Please continue onto the next test," The voice said. Izuku smiled at his companion and walked towards the door, Shouto following him without a word.  
He noticed some sort of strange grid between them and the elevator. The voice seemed to notice his confusion. "This is an Aperture Science Emancipation Grid. You cannot take anything from inside a test outside of a test, or the grid will emancipate it." Good to know. The two walked through the grid and stepped onto the elevator. It closed around them and started moving upward.

After a moment of awkward silence, Izuku turned to his companion. "So. Since we're doing these tests together, maybe we can learn some things about each other! I can start." He'd have to, Shouto didn't seem like much for conversation. But still, he might know something about the situation they were in. He took a deep breath.

"My name's Izuku Midoriya. I live with my mom, my favorite hero is All Might, I like reading and fortune cookies and helping others. Um, and my favorite color is yellow. What about you?"

Shouto stared at him. "I am Shouto. I was programed by Aperture Science to accompany test subject four: Izuku Midoriya. You are test subject four: Izuku Midoriya. Therefore, I will accompany you." Izuku winced. He probably should have expected that. He wasn't really sure what he was doing, talking to a robot.

Except….something told him there was more to Shouto than met the eye. Some instinct that whispered that the other boy wasn't really a robot, that this was all wrong, that Shouto needed help. And seeing as instinct had lead him to both helping others and receiving All Might's quirk, he was inclined to trust it.

So he tried again. "I understand that. But besides your programming, there has to be things you like and don't like! So, maybe you could tell me your favorite color?"

"I do not have favorite things," Shouto refuted. "I was programed-"

"Yeah, I get it. Never mind." Izuku sighed and looked away. Something about the way Shouto had said that made him uneasy. There was definitely more to this than what met the eye. He'd wait for a while and then try again.

\----------------------------------

The elevator door opened, and the two stepped into the next room. On one of the walls, a screen saying 01 on it flickered to life. The security cameras were still there, and still gave Izuku the feeling of unease. Another glass wall showed that this room was much larger than the last one. Down below, there was a button, and two portals, one which was constantly switching walls.

"You have made it to the first test," the voice announced. "Know that a noticeable taste of blood is not part of the test." Wait what? Izuku shook his head and walked forward. He already knew that he was in a really bad situation, this wasn't really that surprising. A portal flew into the wall next to him, and he stepped through it, Shouto following right behind him as usual.

Now that he was on the other side of the room, he looked back down. The thing creating the portals seemed to be a handheld device of some sort. Curious, he jumped down, the strange boots he was wearing taking away all the impact that should have been there.

He paused to inspect them more. "Wow, that was really neat! It's like they absorbed all the momentum I had from the fall making it so that there was no impact when I hit the ground. How did people create these things? Did someone use a quirk on them? And why do all this testing if they could just sell these boots and make millions-"

"To complete this test, you must grab the portal gun," Shouto reminded him. Izuku blushed and cut himself off, taking the so called "portal gun" in his hands. He ran his fingers over the device, looking for some sort of trigger. When he found it, he aimed the portal gun at the wall and fired. A blue circle materialized, connecting to the orange one he had come out of previously.

"Congratulations. You are now in possession of the Aperture Science handheld portal device. The portals have been proven to be completely safe. The device has not. Do not touch the operational end of the device. Whatever you do, do not-" The voice was cut off again. _Of course_ , Izuku though with surprising bitterness, _knowing all the safety regulations of a dangerous machine would be too easy for this place._

He looked to his companion. "Hey, Shouto. Want to give this a try?" He held up the portal gun. Shouto shook his head.

"I have no need. I have been equipped with portals of my own, so that I may function properly in an emergency." He raised his cybernetic hand, and the blue circle in the center lit up. Now that Izuku looked closer, he noticed that half of the circle was a dark blue and the other half was a lighter shade.

Izuku frowned. "If you've had that the whole time, why haven't you used it at all?"

Shouto lowered his hand. "I am not to use it except for in cases of emergency. Furthermore, I am here to accompany you. I do not solve your tests for you." Izuku winced, because that did make sense, even if it was frustrating.

"Right. Let's just get going then." He lead the way into the next elevator. His companion still didn't say a word. Was this what all of the tests would be like? Him talking to an uncooperative robot-teen? No, that was the wrong way to look at it. It wasn't Shouto's fault, like the guy had said, it was just in his programming. Izuku un-clenched his fists and resolved be nicer.

\----------------------------------

The next test looked simple enough. A half portal on the other end of the room. A drop in the floor. Dark walls around him until the point where the floor dropped off. A quick experiment showed that the portals didn't work on the dark walls. Maybe some kind of anti-portal material? That would make sense, guiding the test subject to do what was required.  
Izuku looked back at Shouto. "Looks like I just have to jump down and make a portal, huh. Not too bad."

"I cannot tell you." Nothing new. But strangely enough, Izuku's earlier annoyance was giving way to sympathy. What would it be like to be Shouto, unable to do, say, or think beyond his programming? And if he really was only part robot….

….That meant he was also part human. Which meant that unless being part robot was his quirk, someone made him this way. Dread flooded through him at the thought. Could it be that whoever trapped him here also turned Shouto into this and took away his free will? He ground his teeth together. How horrible could some people, villains really, get?

"You are distressed," Shouto noted tonelessly. Izuku smiled at him sadly.

"Yeah, but it's okay, I'll be fine." He tapped his companion's shoulder with his fist. He felt human, even if slightly off. Not anymore off than some people's quirks, at least. "Thanks for worrying though! I appreciate it."

"I am not worried. My programming is to-"

"Or you could just say no problem," Izuku butted in. Maybe all Shouto needed was someone to remind him that he was more than his programming. Was he missing his memories as well? That would make sense. If these guys wanted to make a cyborg, why leave in his memories of being human?

Shouto blinked at him. "I do not understand."

"We'll work on it," Izuku assured him. He aimed the portal gun once again at the end of the next room to complete the task. At least he had a mission now: to find out what Aperture did to the two of them, regain his memories, and escape this weird place, strange voice and portals be damned.

"Mind the gap." _Haha, very funny_. Izuku kinda wanted to tell the voice to go screw itself.

Onward it was.

\----------------------------------

"This is Test Chamber Four," The voice announced as they stepped inside. "You're slow going, but at least you're here now." It was obvious what he was supposed to do from first glance. Izuku jumped down into the pit and shot his portal where the cube was lying.

The connecting portal was on a side wall. Which meant to get out of the hole, he had to jump down, which would end up being sideways. Going in straight would mean ending up horizontal. Ugh, this was weird! Izuku clenched his fists and kicked the cube further in first, then got down on his hands and knees and after a moment's hesitation, crawled through. His stomach did flip flops as his mind readjusted itself to the idea of being upright instead of facing down. Yikes.

He put the cube on the button and joined Shouto in walking towards the next chamber. He opened his mouth to talk to the other teen when- "Alright then. The next test chamber will not be observed. You and your Aperture Science companion are on your own." Well, that would be a nice change, for once.

The test looked easy enough. Two buttons, two platforms, two cubes. It was as Izuku was grabbing the first cube off of its platform that he heard the voice. And not the one from before, but a girl voice.  
Wait oh wow a girl voice-

"-ello? Can you hear me over there? Please help, get me outta here! I can't move by myself, could you help? Please!"

Izuku looked to the side of him in shock. There, in the chamber's viewing room, was a small sphere with a handle. A purple light that looked somewhat like an eye filled the screen of one of its sides, and she was looking pleadingly at him. Well at least he thought she was, it was hard to tell.

"You can see me, right?" The thing called out. "Please help!"

"I - I don't know how!" Izuku stuttered back. It wasn't that he didn't want to help the sphere, it was that he had no idea how to get to it. Maybe if he threw the cube at the glass it would shatter? But he had no way to get into the room, and the walls in the viewing room were made of that same dark material, so a portal was out of the question.

"There should be a switch!" The sphere called back. "Down by your friend over there." Izuku spun around to see Shouto standing by the wall. Sure enough, there was some sort of tall button on top of a cylinder next to him. Funny, Izuku could swear he hadn't seen that before.

"Shouto! Can you press it, please?" He could already see Shouto shaking his head.

"I cannot help you with your tests."

Izuku thought fast. "No, you're not helping me with my tests at all! This isn't part of the test, so technically it doesn't defy your programming." He hoped that would work. Sure, he could go down and get it himself, but he really hoped Shouto would do it, that some part of the human that once was could come out in this situation.

The cyborg stood stock still for a few more moments. Izuku was just about to jump down himself when Shouto moved over slightly and pressed the button. The glass slid open, and the viewing room floor raised slightly, making the purple sphere roll out into the chamber with a yelp.

Before Izuku could move, Shouto dashed forward, snatching the sphere out of the air before she could hit the ground. Izuku blinked in surprise at the quick save. A sign that whoever Shouto was before was still in there, maybe?

"Thanks for catching me!" The sphere turned her eye towards Shouto. The lower eyelid panel lifted up a bit, like she was happy. That made sense. "I owe you one!" Izuku opened his mouth to warn her about Shouto, but the cyborg beat him to it.

"I caught you because otherwise you would interfere with Izuku Midoriya's testing. I cannot permit that to happen." The sphere rolled back in his arms and opened her eye wide, as if shocked. No, that was definitely a shocked expression.

Izuku decided to interfere before any feelings could really be hurt. "Ah, hello! My name is Izuku Midoriya, I'm kinda stuck in this lab doing tests, and Shouto has been trapped and programed by the same scientists who trapped me here to come with me during the tests. It's not his fault he's rude, and we're working on it."

The sphere seemed to relax. "That makes sense. I figured he would do something like this. My name's Ochako, and I can't remember anything about my life before I woke up here."

"Nothing?" Izuku asked.

"Nope. Nada. I woke up as a Core, stuck on a rail, traveling through this building. And let me tell you, this place is huge! Tsuyu and I have been here for weeks and still haven't seen most of the place, or found a way out. Tsuyu's another core, by the way. We both found each other soon after waking up here, and decided to stick together. She's not here right now though, she said she had to go check something out, and left without me. Rude! Oh sorry, I've been rambling on, haven't I?"

"N-no, it's okay," Izuku muttered thoroughly confused. That was a lot of info to process! There were some things that stood out, though. "But you said you woke up as a core? Is that what you are? Were you not a core before? And who is this he you mentioned?"

Ochako let out a sigh of relief. "Oh good, I was worried I was talking to much or too fast. Anyways, yeah, I'm a Core right now, but I definitely wasn't one before! There's this muscle memory I've got, telling me I should have arms and legs and all the other human things, but they're not there. Why would I feel like that if I wasn't human before?"

"That makes sense," He conceded. Maybe Ochako was just like him and Shouto? He suspected that was the truth. What was worse, being stuck inside a completely different type of body that was all robotic, or keeping a human shape and most human parts, but being forced to obey programming? They both sounded terrible, and he felt very lucky all of a sudden.

"Personality Core." Izuku and Ochako both whipped around to look at Shouto. "You asked what a Core is. It is short for Personality Core, made to attach to an AI to keep the AI in line." Izuku smiled at his companion. His voice and expression hadn't changed, but offered information from Shouto was both new and welcome.

"That's pretty much it," Ochako agreed. She dimmed, suddenly. "You asked who he is. I was talking about AIzawa." Her voice hushed at the last part.

"Aizawa?" Izuku repeated.

"No, AI-zawa. Y'know, the bored voice over the Aperture intercoms." Ochako motioned upwards towards the security cameras. "I've seen three test subjects come before you. He….really wasn't good to him. It's like he only gets pleasure from seeing testing happen, then disposes of the testers once they're done. You're the first one I've been able to reach. I'm really sorry, I tried! But there wasn't anything I could do!"

A pit dropped in Izuku's stomach. So that was why he was Test Subject Four. There were three before him, and they'd all been….they'd all been disposed of. Who were they? Did he know them? Were they people from his missing memories? What about his mom? If he was just missing memories, she might not have been kidnapped along with him. But how could he be sure?  
And what about All Might? Was he worried? Did Izuku end up receiving his power? He'd done a pretty horrible job with it so far, if he'd managed to get kidnapped like this.  
And the other three test subjects….they were really dead? Oh god, ohgodohgodohgod they were dead they were dead _they were dead and he was going to die-_

"Izuku!" Ochako's voice called out to him, bringing him back to the present. Both she and Shouto were looking at him, Ochako with worry, Shouto just looking. "Izuku, are you alright? I mean, I see why you wouldn't be, but we'll find a way to help you. Don't worry!"

 _She's….comforting me_. A small smile came to Izuku's face, unbidden. That was right! He had two people looking out for him now! They would watch each other's backs, and stay alive. Then they would take down AIzawa and escape this place. Just like true heroes would.

"I'm fine, thanks," he assured her. "You're right, we'll all be okay! Let's finish this test, yeah?"

"As part of test protocol, the previous statement, saying this chamber would not be monitored, was a fabrication, to see how subjects would react when they think they are by themselves. The tests further on will adjust accordingly."

"Somehow, I'm not surprised," Izuku muttered at the sound of AIzawa's voice.

Ochako hissed. "Bastard."

"As part of a required test protocol, The truth will stop being enhanced in three, two-" It broke off again. Of course.

"So AIzawa was watching the whole time then." Izuku looked at his companions nervously. "So he knows we're going to try and escape." Izuku knew he was smart, sure. But he didn't really like his odds against an AI.

"We'll just have to work around him," Ochako insisted. "It's either that or death." And she was right, he knew it.

They would escape. They _had_ to.


End file.
